Coconut Cracking

Young Thai Coconut

For those of you out there curious about opening young Thai coconuts, here’s a little how to video demonstrating the “finesse” technique. Other techniques include the “whacking”, “hacking”, “cracking” and “smacking”… none of which are featured during this video. The Live Food Experience does not take any responsibility for those who sustain injuries while attempting to open a coconut. If attempting to open a coconut for the first time be sure to use a quality sharp knife. Coconuts eat cheap knives for breakfast. Also be sure to have some one standing by un case of a coco-mishap.

If you have a Young Thai Coconut Experience you wish to share, be sure to post it in the comments below.

Be safe, and Keep It Live!

Chef Franky G’s Food Challenge 2010

On Saturday I was having a little meditation session, you know quiet time, OK, I was napping while sitting up. While in this peaceful nap state I was thinking about an “Iron Chef” type challenge show that featured rawfood chefs, but not so much a competition as a collaboration. It was a pleasant little concept. When I finished my daydream I checked my email to see that my little dream had come true… to a certain extent, in the form of Food Challenge 2010 from Chef Frank Giglio. First off, let me tell you about Frank Giglio. Frank is an amazing chef, athlete and an all around swell guy. He was the first apprentice to greet me when I stumbled into the dorms at The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in the dark of night… actually there was another apprentice there as well, but Frank was my roomie for the last few weeks of his apprenticeship, so he gets top billing. That was back in September of 2007. Franky was offered a managing chef position at the TOL cafe and it was during that time that he taught me a thing or two about cheffing Franky G style… beet pesto, who would have thought it would taste so good?

So what’s the Food Challenge 2010? Here’s an excerpt from his site:

Take a look into your cupboard or fridge and pick a few ingredients that you don’t know how to use, or that need to be used up.  With the list, I will then create a recipe for you.  You then try it out, maybe take a picture, then send it back to me.  If the dish was a hit, then I get a thumbs up!

So I’m sending out my challenge in video form to Chef Frank. If he wants to send one back I welcome it. And for those of you at home… send in your challenge to me or Frank if you’d like.

Keep It Live!  Adam

Rosemary Corn Shroom

Rosemary Corn Shroom

Hi all,

Recently I was asked, thanks to Heathy, to be a featured chef on the new website and online community Eighty Percent Raw. This site was started to provide support for individuals interested in refining their diet and moving towards a healthy more sustainable way of eating and living. March 1st was the launch of 80% Raw. As a contributing chef I put together a simple side dish recipe that requires no special training, gadgets or tools. Visit Eighty Percent Raw the innargarul March edition. In the meantime check out this video featuring Rosemary Corn Shroom.

Canadian Adventures 2 – Mousse Crossing

Welcome to Ontario

Previously on “Canadian Adventures” from The Live Food Experience; Adam was scarfing down a pomelo at 34,000 feet on his way to visit Heathy in Canada. Although the oversized citrus managed to put up a fight, it was subdued by Adam prior to his arrival in Winnipeg. Fun stuff traveling. Actually it can be stressful and tiring,

Warm Fire

but when there are loving folks on the other end to greet you it makes it all worth it. I safely arrived in Canada around midnight and was collected from the airport by Heathy and her mother Elaine. There warm welcome offset the freezing conditions outside. I tucked in all my loose ends and gathered up all my Homeland Insecurity searched luggage and embarked upon my first adventure in Canada. That first evening in Winnipeg we stayed at the home of family friends Anya and Francis who own and operate a European shoe store and bed and breakfast. The shoe store and the bed and breakfast are separate businesses although they may honor a request for Birkenstock in bed.

Cedar

I awoke the next morning to a snowy wonderland. I was anxious to get out in the cold so Heathy and I took a walk up the snowy neighborhood road. It was a short walk. We were cold and we needed to get on the road and back to her home 5 hours away in Sioux Lookout, Ontario.

Mousse Crossing

What was waiting for me in Sioux Lookout? A warm fire, lovely dinner, happy doggies and the most amazing dessert; Strawberry Lime Mousse Cake. We now join our program that is currently in progress… Travels with Heathy:

The Live Food Experience… In your very own kitchen!

Recently I prepared an in home dinner for 4 in Jacksonville, Florida. I have to say this is one of my favorite ways of introducing people to the magic of living foods. I’ve done a few these dinners in the past they all have been a great success. Most of the time there is a skeptic in the bunch or at least someone who doubts they will enjoy or feel satisfied with the meal. So far I’ve been able to leave everyone satiated, satisfied and smiling. Now there’s no telling whether or not they throw a pot pie in the microwave or thaw out a pizza once I’m out the door.

Thai Miso Soup

The menu from the other evening began with Thai style miso soup. Here’s the basic procedure:

1. Start by warming 3 Cups filtered water on the stove, not boiling just hot to touch.
2. Transfer the water to a blender. I had brought my Vitamix but any blender will do.
3. Add 3 T of unpasteurized miso.  I used my favorite chick pea miso from South River Miso to make the broth. Add 1/2 an avocado, 1/2 or a full bell pepper (yellow preferred), 1 T of Thai Curry Spice from Mountain Rose Herbs,1-2 cloves of garlic, 2 t lime juice and 1-2 t of fresh ginger..
4. Blend for for 30 seconds.
5. Cut up some fresh basil add to blender and blend for 5 seconds.
6. Pour into cups and add fresh cucumber batons, shredded carrot and bell pepper chunks.
7. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf.

Next on the menu was a veggie medley Pad Thai creation. I used kelp noodles from Sea Tangle Noodle Co., spiralized zucchini and carrots and diced jicama to make the noodles. The sauce consisted of:

• almond butter
• water
• unpasteurized miso
• tamari
• lemon juice
• olive oil
• palm sugar
• ginger
• hot pepper

Pad Thai with Almond Miso Sauce

I’m a big fan of this sauce. To me it’s good enough to drink straight. After I blend up a batch I swish water in the bottom of the blender and drink what’s left. Nothing goes to waste in the live food kitchen.

Dessert was the next order of business. I like to keep things delicious and easy at these dinner parties. I chose to make a mango banana sorbet. The sorbet is a easy 1, 2 recipe… 1. cut up and freeze fruit 2. pass frozen fruit through a masticating juicer with the blank plate… done.

I did make a special sauce to top the sorbet with. It was an agave cinnamon sauce. It consisted of:

• agave
• maple syrup
• almond butter
• agave powder
• cinnamon
• salt

I blended this mixture and put it in a squirt bottle. The agave came across very sweet to me and in the future I’d probably make this again with soaked dates or palm sugar instead of agave… regardless, it was still delicious! Schedule a Dinner Experience in your home today.

Making Sorbet

Mango Banana Sorbet

Fermenting Fun: Kimchi Part 2

Enjoy the spicy and dramatic conclusion of the Kimchi Saga. Health never tasted so good… although kimchi and kraut can be a bit stinky.

Fermenting Fun Kimchi Part 1

This batch of kimchi is a faded memory… except for the smell it leaves behind on the jar lids. Anyway, here’s part 1 of the “how to” video for making a jumbo jar of kimchi.

Apple Buckwheat Breakfast

unsprouted buckwheat

Sprouted buckwheat is a really magical food. Most people know buckwheat in terms of buckwheat pancakes but sprouted buckwheat ain’t the same thing. Buckwheat isn’t even a grain like the name “wheat” might imply. It’s a “achene” which is a technical term you can investigate. For simplicity sake let’s just call it a seed that is unrelated to wheat therefore having no gluten. Buckwheat flour used for baking and raw buckwheat groats are unsprouted and contain enzyme inhibitors which need to cooked or sprouted to deactivate. Newbie rawfooders may initially have a bad experience working with buckwheat if they don’t sprout it. Buckwheat needs to be thoroughly rinsed, soaked and sprouted. Check out this post regarding sprouting buckwheat.

Once you have sprouted the buckwheat you have a very versatile ingredient for food prep. Don’t be shy when sprouting buckwheat. The sprouted groats can be dehydrated and stored for later use in recipes.

sprouted buckwheat

Buckwheat can have a dominant flavor and texture if not used in the right proportions. When I use it in granola  I typically add 3 times the amount of nuts or seeds to buckwheat in the recipe. You’ll know if you have too much buckwheat in a recipe because it will taste bland and have a chalky feel in the mouth.

Buckwheat is a warming food which makes it a great breakfast option during cold months. It is high in calcium and also a great source of rutin which helps to strengthen capillaries. If you bruise easily or are wanting to rid yourself of varicose veins, add buckwheat to your diet.

Here’s a quick and easy buckwheat recipe. I used apple for this version but banana or pear can easily be substituted. I added hemp oil to give the porridge the satisfying effect when fats are added to a recipe. You can add a thick nut or seed mylk instead or a nut butter. Have fun with the recipe and adapt it to your liking.

Sprouted Buckwheat Apple Porridge

¼ C sprouted buckwheat

3 T shredded coconut

1 apple – cut up

2 T gojis or raisins – mix in at end

1 T maple syrup, honey or agave

1 T sweet cinnamon or 1 t cinnamon

1 T mesquite

1 T hemp oil

1 t maca

pinch of Himalayan salt

Combine in all ingredients except for raisins/gojis in food processor.